Electrically operated driving device



Oct. 4, 1955 Filed May 12, 1954 FIG.

H. SENGEBUSCH ELECTRICAL-LY OPERATED DRIVING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HANS SEN GEBUSGH ATTY.

United States Patent ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DRIVING DEVICE Hans Sengebusch, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 12, 1954, Serial No. 429,352

9 Claims. (Cl. 318254) This invention relates to electric motors and more particularly to the type in which the rotor is rotated incident to the alternate energization of a pair of field windings.

Such motors are especially useful as a drive means for electric switches such as those used in telephone systems. A very early application of this type of motor is disclosed in the Erickson Patent No. 1,493,254, issued May 6, 1924 and in the Kuhl Patent, No. 1,494,173, issued May 13, 1924, Erickson utilizing the motor in a connector switch and Kuhl, in a lineswitch. However, neither of said patents disclose a means for controlling the motor for both trunk hunting and for impulse responsive step-bystep movement. And in both of said patents, both windings must be energized for each complete step of the switch.

In a subsequent patent, No. 1,978,700, issued to F. Doring and K. Muller on October 30, 1934, an improved motor of this type and circuits therefor is disclosed together with means for running the motor in a nearly continuous motion (for trunk hunting) and in a stepby-step motion in response to received impulses.

It is an object of this invention to provide a more simple, economical and reliable motor of the type wherein a nonwound rotor is rotated incident to the alternate energizations of a pair of field windings.

It is another object of this invention to provide a more simple and improved means for operating said motor in a step-by-step movement.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved means for causing said motor to operate with a nearly continuous movement and/or with a step-bystep movement.

A feature of this invention is the improved formation of a nonwound rotor and the improved formation of the pole pieces of the field windings for accurate positioning when the rotor stops and for assuring rotation of the rotor in one direction.

Another feature of this invention is the use of interrupter contacts together with contacts for shunting said interrupter contacts to secure step-by-step movement of the rotor in response to impulses.

Another feature is the novel means for rendering the shunting contacts ineffective in order to secure nearly continuous rotation of the rotor for trunk hunting.

Another feature is the energization of both field windings one shortly after the other in response to each impulse received during the step-by-step movement of the rotor to generate a static field, whereby the stopping and accurate positioning of the rotor is more positively assured.

Another feature is the provision for a fast-acting stop arm for positive and accurate stopping of the rotor at the end of a nearly continuous movement.

Further objects and features will be evident upon a perusal of the following description in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the motor and associated equipment;

Fig. 2 is a view of part of the motor taken in the direction of the arrows along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 for more clearly showing the gears and pinions associated with the rotor and its shaft;

Fig. 3 is a view of part of the motor along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 for more clearly showing the pivotal mounting of an armature common to the two field windings of the motor; and,

Fig. 4 shows a simplified circuit for operating the motor.

The present application discloses a motor together with its operating circuit which motor is especially useful for driving switching devices, for example in telephone systems.

A pair of cam operated interrupter contacts 124 and 125 are normally controlled during the rotation of the motor to complete circuits for alternately energizing a pair of field windings 116 and 120, a rotor 103 being rotated with a nearly continuous motion in response to said energizations.

An armature 132, common to both of said windings, is locked against movement when it is desired to impart the above-described nearly continuous motion to the rotor. However, when it is desired to rotate the rotor step-by-step in response to received impulses, the common armature 132 is released. Then, when one of the field windings is energized (its respective interrupter contacts being closed), the energized winding rotates the rotor a quarter of a revolution to open its interrupter contacts. But the winding also attracts the common armature, which armature closes contacts which shunt the now open respective interrupter contacts and thereby maintains the winding energized. When the rotor rotates said quarter revolution, it also closes the other interrupter contacts to energize the other field winding so that both windings are now energized. A static field, generated by both windings, more positively assures the stopping and accurate positioning of the rotor. At the end of the impulse, the operating circuits are opened and both of the windings deenergized and the common armature returns to normal. When the second impulse is reeeived, the other field winding energizes, rotates the armature another quarter of a revolution, and attracts the common armature, which closes contacts to shunt the other interrupter contacts to maintain the other winding energized, said one winding also energizing. At the end of the second impulse, both windings deenergize and the common armature returns to normal. This sequence of operations is repeated in response to subsequently received impulses, whereby a step-by-step rotation of the rotor is obtained.

Gear means are provided for rotating a driving member 109 about its shaft 161 in coordination with the rotation of rotor 103. If the motor is to be used for driving a switch, the switch wipers (not shown) can be mounted on the shaft 161; and some means, controlled by the driving member 109, can be provided for moving the wipers in coordination with said driving mem- Means are provided for controlling said gear means to rotate the driving member 109 clockwise or counterclockwise as desired.

Detailed description of parts The features of the proposed invention herein pertain to a motor and the controls therefor. This type of motor is especially useful for driving switching mechanisms, for example, the structure shown herein may be adapted for use in a fiat type switch somewhat similar to that shown in my copending application, Serial No. 258,404, filed November 27, 1951.

Upon a switch base 101 is mounted a motor base 115. A shaft 102 is mounted vertically on the base with a non-magnetic, tensioned spring bearing 151 at the top,

said shaft having rotatably mounted thereon a collar 152 with bearings 153 and 154 at the ends thereof. A cam 104 and a rotor 103 with a spacer 155 therebetween are rigidly held on collar 152 by the nut 156. Pinions I05 and 106 are keyed to collar 152 and rotate therewith. A pair of field windings 116 and 120 are mounted vertically on base 115 and disposed 90 from each other with respect to the axis of shaft 102. Said windings have pole pieces 117 and 121 respectively, said pole pieces disposed such that the edges thereof are in the same plane as and closely adjacent to the path described by the outer edges of the rotor 103. The bearing 151 is mounted on said pole pieces.

Projections 127 and 128 on rotor 103 and projections I18 and 122 on pole pieces 117 and 121 are provided for assuring the movement of the rotor in one direction only, i. e. clockwise in Fig. l.

Projections 126 and 129 on rotor 103 and projections I19 and 123 on pole pieces 117 and 121 are provided for stopping the rotor 103 in exact predetermined positions (in cooperation with the static magnetic field set up by the energization of both windings as will be described later) during the step-by-step movement of the rotor.

The pole pieces 117 and 121 also have two other projections 136 and 135 respectively. An armature 132 is pivotally mounted for movement between said projections 136 and 135, which armature is normally locked against movement by a notched member 140 mounted upon spring 139 of control relay 137. When relay 137 is energized, its pole piece 138 attracts member 140 mounted on spring 139, to disengage member 140 from armature 132 so that the armature is movable. If, while armature 132 is so disengaged, the winding 116 is energized, the projection 136 on its pole piece 117 attracts armature 132, the latter closing contacts 133. Similarly the winding 120 can attract the armature 132 by means of its projection 135 to cause the armature 132 to close contacts 134. Obviously, if one winding has energized and pulled armature 132 toward its pole piece, the subsequent energization of the other winding will not pull the armature 132 from the one winding while it is energized. Brass extensions 130 and 131 on projections 136 and 135 are provided to prevent residual magnetism in either of the pole pieces from holding armature 132 in contact therewith after the windings deenergize.

Also mounted on each pole piece (of the field windings) are a pair of springs (shown in Fig. I) normally biased toward each other so that their interrupter contacts 124 and 125 will normally close under said bias. Said pairs of springs are mounted in the same horizontal plane as cam 104 and each is further disposed such that it will be operated to open its respective contacts when its respective associated field winding is energized to rotate the rotor 103 together with collar 152, cam 104 and pinions 105 and 106 one fourth of a revolution. When cam 104 rotates to open one of said sets of interrupter contacts, it permits the other set of interrupter contacts to be closed by the bias of its springs.

A second control relay 141 is provided for determining the direction in which a driving member 109, rotatably mounted on base 101 by means of its shaft 161, will be moved. When relay 141 is in its normal deenergized condition with its armature 142 in its upper position, an intermediate gear 108 is in its upper position, as shown in Fig. 2, in mesh with an idler pinion 107, which pinion 107 is also in mesh with pinion 105. Gear 108 is keyed to a collar 158 which is rotatably and slidably mounted on pin 157. With gear 108 in its upper position, rotor 103 rotates in a clockwise direction (in Fig. 1), causing collar 152 and its upper pinion 105 to rotate clockwise, pinion 107 rotating counterclockwise, intermediate gear 108 rotating clockwise and the driving member 109 rotating counterclockwise. A stop 144 is provided to prevent the armature 142 from raising the intermediate gear 108 to a position in which it would mesh with pinion as well as 107. When relay 141 is energized to pull its armature 142 to its lower position, the end 143 of said armature exerts a downward force on collar 158 to lower the intermediate gear 108 out of engagement with pinion 107 and into engagement with pinion 106. Now when the rotor 103 rotates clockwise, the driving member 109 will also be rotated clockwise. In view of the foregoing, it will be clear that, if the structure shown herein is utilized in a switch, the switch can be restored to normal by reversing the movement of the driving member 109.

Associated with the driving member 109 is a motor start relay 114 suitably mounted on base 101 and having a pivoted arm 110 thereon for stopping the driving member 109 in an exact position when it is being moved rapidly with a nearly continuous motion. When the relay 114 is energized, it disengages the stop arm 110 from the driving member 109. A non-magnetic projection 111 on stop arm 110 prevents direct contact between stop arm 110 and the core of relay 114, whereby the stop arm will restore more rapidly when the energizing (or holding) circuit for relay 114 is interrupted. A bias spring 112 aids in said rapid restoration of stop arm 110; and it may be preferable to operate relay 114 with a heavy current over one circuit, then open that circuit and maintain the relay operated over another circuit with just enough current to overcome the bias of spring 112. Then, as is well known in the art, the restoration of stop arm 110 will be very rapid when said other circuit is interrupted.

Relay 114 also controls the motor start contacts 113.

Detailed description of motor operation Fig. 4 shows a simplified circuit for operating the motor disclosed herein. Contacts 400 are provided for impulsing purposes, when it is desired to move the motor in a step-by-step manner.

When it is desired to move the motor in a nearly continuous manner, relay 137 (Fig. 1) will not be energized and armature 132 will be locked against movement. Relay 114 will be operated to close contacts 113. Field winding is energized over a circuit (Fig. 4) including contacts 113, 400 and 125. Cam 104 will be rotitted one fourth of a revolution with the rotor 103 to open the circuit for winding 120 at the interrupter contacts and to complete the circuit for field winding 116 by permitting the interrupter contacts 124 to close. Winding 116 energizes, rotates cam 104 and the rotor 103 another one fourth of a revolution. Cam 104 opens contacts 124 and recloses contacts 125, to again energize winding 120. This sequence of operations continues until relay 114 is deenergized to open contacts 113 and to return the lock arm 110 (Fig. 1) into engagement with the driving element 109. Depending upon the position of armature 142 of control relay 141 the gear 108, as previously indicated, will rotate the driving element 109 clockwise or counterclockwise in coordination with the rotation of the rotor 103; and, since the driving element 109 is connected to the collar 152 by means of the intermediate gear 108 and the pinion 106 (or pinions 105 and 107 depending upon the position of gear 108), stopping the member 109 will stop the collar 152 and its cam 104 and rotor 103.

When step-by-step movement is desired, relay 137 (Fig. l) is energized to unlock the armature 132. When relay 114 (Fig. 4) energizes to close contacts 113, the field winding 120 energizes, rotates the rotor 103 and cam 104 one fourth revolution as previously described. Contacts 124 close and contacts 125 open; but armature 132 is operated by winding 120 to close contacts 134 to maintain winding 120 energized. The other field winding 116 is also energized as previously described and the rotor 103 and cam 104 are held in position by the static field generated by the two windings. If contacts 400 are opened, both windings deenergize. When contacts 400 are subsequently reclosed, Winding 116 is energized, because contacts 124 are closed (contacts 125 being open). Armature 132 is operated by winding 116 to close contacts 133 to maintain winding 116 energized. Also when winding 116 energizes, the rotor and cam 104 rotate one fourth of a revolution, contacts 124 being opened and contacts 125 being reclosed to energize winding 120. This sequence of operations will be repeated in response to the operations of pulsing contacts 400. As in the case of the nearly continuous movement of the rotor 103, the gear 108 rotates the driving element 109 (step-by-step) in coordination with the step-by-step movement of the rotor 103. The direction in which driving element 109 is rotated depends upon the position of gear 108 as determined by relay 141 and its armature 142.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein; and it is contemplated to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an electric motor of the type in which equipment is rotated incident to the alternate energization of a pair of field windings, an operating circuit for one of said windings including a first set of interrupter contacts, a branch of said circuit for the other winding including a second set of interrupter contacts, said sets of contacts operated cyclically incident to the rotation of said equipment, contacts operated responsive to the energization of said one winding for shunting said first set of interrupter contacts, contacts operated responsive to the energization of said other winding for shunting said second set of interrupter contacts, an impulsing means, said operating circuit and its branch effective under the control of all of said contacts for causing the windings to rotate the equipment step-by-step in response to impulses received from said impulsing means.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 together with a control relay and means controlled by said relay for preventing the operation of said shunting contacts, whereby said windings are effective under the control of said first and second sets of interrupter contacts to rotate the equipment in a substantially continuous motion.

3. In combination with an electric motor of the type in which equipment is rotated incident to the alternate energization of a pair of field windings, an operating circuit for one of said windings including a first set of interrupter contacts, an operating circuit for the other winding including a second set of interrupter contacts, said sets of contacts operated cyclically incident to the rotation of said equipment, an armature common to both of said windings and operable by each winding when energized, contact means operated by the armature for shunting said first set of interrupter contacts when said one winding is energized and for shunting said second set of interrupter contacts when said other winding is energized and impulsing means for causing said windings to rotate the equipment in a step-by-step motion under the control of said interrupter and shunting contacts.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3 together with a control relay and means controlled by said relay for locking said common armature against movement, whereby said windings are effective under the control of said interrupter contacts for rotating said equipment in a nearly continuous manner.

5. In combination with an electric motor of the type in which equipment is rotated consequent to the alternate energization of a pair of field windings, operating circuits for the field windings including interrupter contacts operated cyclically consequent to the rotation of said equipment, said circuits normally effective to cause the motor to rotate the equipment substantially continuously, a control relay, contacts controlled by said relay and operated by the field windings only when the control relay is energized for altering said operating circuit, said altered operating circuits efiective under the control of all of said contacts when the control relay isenergized to cause the windings to rotate the equipment in a step-by-step manner.

6. In an electric motor, a pair of field windings, each having a pole piece associated therewith, a member rotatably mounted between said pole pieces, a set of interrupter contacts associated with each winding, means associated with said member for alternately operating said sets of interrupter contacts as the member rotates, a circuit including each set of interrupter contacts for energizing each winding when its respective interrupter contacts are operated to cause said member to rotate, additional contacts operated by each winding when energized for shunting its respective interrupter contacts, whereby the winding is maintained energized, the other interrupter contacts operated upon said rotation of the member to energize the other winding, said energizing windings generating a static field, projections on said member and on said pole pieces cooperating with said static field for stopping said member in exact predetermined positions, and means for alternately opening and closing said circuit to cause said windings to rotate said member step-by-step.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6 together with a control relay, means controlled by said relay for preventing the operation of said additional contacts, whereby said windings are effective under the control of said interrupter contacts for rotating said member in a substantially continuous motion, a second member, means controlled by the first-mentioned member for rotating said second member, and a relay operated lock arm engageable with said second member for stopping and locking said second member against further rotational movement.

8. The combination claimed in claim 7 wherein said last means comprises a first gear rigidly mounted on the first-mentioned member and a rotatably-mounted second gear engageable with said first gear and said second member, and in combination therewith a third gear rigidly mounted on the first-mentioned member, a rotatablymounted fourth gear engageable with said third gear, and means for moving said second gear out of engagement with said first gear and into engagement with said fourth gear, whereby the rotational movement of said second member is reversed.

9. A combination with an electric motor of the type in which equipment is rotated consequent to the alternate energization of a pair of field windings, comprising a first operating circuit for energizing the first of said field windings, a second operating circuit for energizing the second of said field windings, said two windings being energized in a pre-determined order in one cycle of operation, in which said first winding is energized in the first instance over said first circuit and said second winding is subsequently energized over said second circuit; while in the second cycle of operation said second winding is energized by said second circuit in the first instance and said first winding is subsequently energized over said first circuit; a first set of interrupter springs included in said first energizing circuit, a second set of interrupter springs included in said second energizing circuit, a cam rotated by said windings for alternately opening said first and second sets of interrupter springs, a common armature controlled by said field windings having contacts for maintaining said first field winding energized when said first set of interrupter springs is opened in case said first field winding is first energized and for maintaining said second field winding energized when said second set of interrupter springs is opened in case said second field winding is first energized whereby one of said field windings is held energized by said 7 common armature and the other field winding is energized over said energizing circuit through its interrupter springs, a set of impulse contacts for momentarily deenergizing both of said field windings and means including said impulse contacts, said interrupter springs and said common armature consecutively causing said field windings to be reenergized for rotating said equipment in a step-by-step manner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Muller May 28, 1935 Hinchman Sept. 22, 1942 List Nov. 10, 1942 Maxwell May 16, 1950 Lohs Oct. 6, 1953 

